Some concerned citizens and members of some environmental agencies spent a rainy Satuday cleaning up tires on Blue Mountain in Northampton County. The tires were dumped illegally, posing a threat to the environment and future plans for a trail. WFMZ's Stephanie Esposito reports from Plainfield Township.

  "I was extremely shocked."

>>REPORTER: Shocked that someone would illegally dump 400 tires on an undeveloped site on Blue Mountain.

:Somebody really had to go to out of their way to get those tires up on that mountain."

>>REPORTER: Wildlands Conservancy in Emmaus recently purchased 100 acres of Blue Mountain from a private owner... using grant money from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

But when members evaluated the land, they found this... 

"It would have cost a couple hundred bucks to get rid of these tires legally, and it's costing thousands to get rid of them through tax payer money."

"DCNR doesn't have funds for clean up directly so they told us to call craig dally because he had cleaned up a tire pile off 33 that had like a million tires on it."

"I contacted our staff in Harrisburg which put us in contact with PA Cleanway's organization which does clean ups across the state. We hooked up those two organizations."

>>REPORTER: PA Cleanways works primarily on the western side of Pennsylvania... but was happy to help.

"It was a perfect project for our funding."

>>REPORTER: Different funding from the same organization... the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The outcome... about 20 volunteers and additional workers from all of the organizations invested cleaned up the trash and tires."

"All the tires will be recycled."

"It's very rewarding because I know this isn't going to be trashed again. We're working on deterrants with the game commission.

>>REPORTER: All the tires were purchased by the Wildlands Conservancy... and the land...

"Our intention is to give it to the PA game commission."

>>REPORTER: With the plan to create a trail connecting Center Street in Wind Gap to the Appalachian Trail.

That land will be transferred to Plainfield Township.

"It's a great project. It opens up more of our forests to the public for recreation purposes."

>>REPORTER: Stephanie Esposito, 69 News.

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